My Turn To Roam
by tk-ane
Summary: It's Peter's turn to be Chinatown's Caine.


My turn to roam..... By Taylor Kane  
  
Disclaimer: ya da dad ad ad d ada dad etc. translation I do not own characters, etc.  
  
Peter sat on the roof of his apartment, the same apartment that had once belonged to his father. From here he could see most of Chinatown. It was part of his daily routine, to sit and watch the people going about their business. It gave him a sense of peace, which was something he had lacked most of his life and something he now focused on achieving. It was amazing what five minutes of peace a day could do for the spirit.  
  
It had taken him months to get to the stage where he was able to sit quietly and watch. And now he found that it was a necessary part of his day. As much as the morning coffee had once been and still was. Shaolin priest or not, caffeine was still a necessity.  
  
As the street below him grew crowded and busy, Peter began the rest of his morning routine.  
  
As he strolled down the main street, he was greeted by many. While still relatively new on the Shaolin scene, the people of Chinatown respected and cared for the young priest. Since his elevation to the rank of Shaolin 18 months previously, the community had supported him in various forms. And he in return became the infamous 'Caine'. 'Come to Chinatown, ask for Caine. I will help you.' The catch cry of the Caine dynasty, the dynasty that he had inherited upon his birth fathers departure, 18 months past.  
  
A lot had happened in 18 months. There had been many lessons learnt and many mistakes made. But he had found his niche. He was not his father. He was Peter Caine, former Police detective. Yes he fulfilled his role as resident healer and spiritual advisor (skills he had learnt from Lo Si) but he was more than just this. He was a brother and a friend to the younger children, a son and friend to the elderly and even a friend and a potential husband to some of the young ladies.  
  
He had not lost all contact with the 101st. He was still a friend. No longer a detective, it had taken time for him feel comfortable around his friends once more. At first he had kept his space, focusing on his new life. That was until he received a not so friendly visit from Kermit reminding him about the friends he had left behind. Now, he made sure he had the time for them. He occasionally met up with them for drinks at Chandlers. Though more often then not, they would find their way to his home for a visit, advise and even some help.  
  
On one occasion he had even accompanied Kermit and Skalany on a bust. A simple case on the surface, it had quickly turned into chaos. Without Peter's presence, there would have been many deaths instead of the injuries received. That was what had lead Captain Karen Simms into offering him a consultant position. A position which he quickly accepted. Not a person known for his patience, Peter had quickly found himself missing the life of a police officer. Not that life as a Shaolin was boring but it had taken some adjustment. The consultant position quickly filled the void allowing him not only to continue working with the department but also under his own conditions.  
  
Eighteen months spent learning the way of Shaolin. Time spent combining the way of the Shaolin with the way of the Shaolin Cop. After eighteen months, he could finally say he had done the right thing, accepting this path.  
  
"Master Caine, Master Caine" cried a voice, interrupting Peters reflection.  
  
"What is the matter Maiye?" Peter asked the young girl who had come running down the street.  
  
"Something is wrong with the Lei. The baby is not supposed to come for another month. Muma asks that you come right away," sobbed the little girl.  
  
It broke Peter's heart to see the normally spirited girl so downcast.  
  
"Well lets see what we can do about it?" replied Peter, grabbing the little girls hand and running in the direction of Maiye's family home. While he was not a doctor nor a medic, as a Shaolin he had the knowledge and experience to help in many situation. Delivering babies was just another skill on his list.  
  
Thirty minutes later, Maiye was the proud aunt of a little girl and mother and daughter were being packed off in an ambulance to be checked over by a doctor.  
  
"Well done Dectective Caine," complemented the medic, " nice delivery."  
  
"It wasn't my doing John, Lei did most of the work. And how many times do I tell you its Peter. I'm not a cop anymore."  
  
"Detective, you'll always be a cop. With or without the badge," replied John with a smile.  
  
"Your probably right," chuckled Peter.  
  
"There's no probably about it Detective. Now I suppose I better get this buddle of joy to the hospital. Stay out of trouble Peter. I hope not to see you again in a professional capacity again," answered John as he climbed into the ambulance beside his partner.  
  
"Take care," wished the priest, as he watched the ambulance move off into traffic.  
  
He glanced at his watch and noticed the time. He was due at the Blaidsdell's for lunch in an hour. Just enough time for him to check on some of his patients, before heading over.  
  
Lunch with his mum and Paul was always a treat. Since Paul's return six months previously, they had made it a regular event.  
  
"Yum, that's smells wonderful mum. Teriyaki Chicken and yasmine rice, right!" guessed Peter as a walked into the kitchen.  
  
"What gave it away? Was it your detective instinct or Shaolin senses?" teased Annie.  
  
"More like his stomach," retorted Paul.  
  
"Hey, leave me alone. I've had a hard day," replied Peter.  
  
"Is everything alright?" inquired his mother.  
  
"Now yeah, it was touch or go for a little while. Remember Lei?"  
  
"Is she alright?" Annie asked anxiously.  
  
"She's fine and so is Tyi...her 1 month premature, beautiful, baby girl."  
  
"You delivered a baby?" asked his foster father in disbelief.  
  
"It's not like it's the first time he's delivered a baby, Paul," explained Annie.  
  
"I see we still have some catching up to do," commented Paul.  
  
"You could say that," was his son's reply.  
  
"Paul can you get the drinks and Peter finish setting the table please. Lunch will be ready any minute now," stated Annie.  
  
"Yes Boss," Paul said as he kissed his wife's forehead before he headed off to do his job.  
  
'Nothing really changes,' thought Peter as he to set to work.  
  
Change by definition is 'to make or become different, from previous to or into new state. Change happens whether we want it to or not. Whether we notice it or not. People grow, buildings change and society changes. And whether we notice or not, we change as well. We become accustomed to the new ways.  
  
There is an old saying, something about never being able to go home again. And its true. Once we leave home the passage of time is more obvious, the changes more obvious. Changes, that to the ones that remained, were gradual. But to the ones returned, change was sudden and surprising. We can never go back but we can move forward. We can return to the place that we refer to as home and even make it our home again. But it will never be the home that we left.  
  
This problem is one that has been encountered by hundreds of thousands over the years. Students leaving their families to go to university, only to return to find that the world went on while they were away. That their family continued on. Their brothers and sisters grew. Some old appliances were replaced with new. New routines were established. They discover that, while they are loved very much by their family, that they are not essential. While they were missed very much, life continued on without them.  
  
Change is a result of time. If we could stop time, only then could we stop change. But would we really want to. Would we really want life to remain the same, day in or day out? No change means no growth, no learning. And isn't learning part of why we are here on this planet? Wouldn't we rather have the fond memory to look back on then a static world?  
  
Change is something that can simultaneously excite and scare a person. The senior Caine being no exception.  
  
He had been gone eighteen months. Searching for a hint, a whisper of his wife. It had taken him eighteen months to discover that the truth he had been searching for all this time was within his son. The son he had left behind in order to find the truth. His wife had died when Peter was a young boy, but her presence shone greatly within him. Her kindness and energy were just two qualities that Peter had inherited from his mother.  
  
Eighteen months wasted, when he could of spent the time with his son. The priest knew deep down, that the time had not been wasted. That he had needed the time to come to terms with the changes in his life. And now he knew he was ready to return to his son. To face the changes in a world that had once been home, to people who he had called friends and to a man he called son.  
  
With this in mind, Kwai Chang Caine continued his trek home.......  
  
Is this a bad place to leave it? Let me know if you think it is worth continuing... It's something I started years ago and have just come across it again on my computer. Not the best writing but hey I enjoyed rereading it.  
  
tkanehotmail.com 


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